Shaykh Ahmed mentioned that the majority of the scholars are upon this division of the people of innovation:

those who call to their innovation and

those who do not call to their innovation.

And it is mandatory upon us that we take caution from both categories. And the first category of people are more hazardous to the general people than the second category. And even the second category, those who do not call to their innovation, then caution must still be taken from them, for verily a person can be fooled by a particular persons’ statements and actions, because even though he may not be calling to his innovation directly and explicitly, but his actions and deeds are calling to his innovation, and this is very harmful to the slaves of Allaah, and they must take caution from this. And from the way of the Salaf was that they used to have complete caution from all types of people of innovation.

From Sa’eed ibn ‘Aamir who said: “I heard Ismaa’eel [i.e. Ibn Khaarijah] narrate, saying: ‘Two men from the people of the innovated sects came to Muhammad Ibn Seereen and said: “O Aboo Bakr we want to narrate something to you.” He said: “No.” They said: “Then may we recite an Aayah from Allaah’s book to you?” He said: “No, not even half of an Aayah!” He said: “Either you two get up and leave or I will get up.” So the two men stood up and left. So one of the people said: “What harm would it do to you for him to recite an Aayah?” He said: “I hated that he should recite an Aayah and that they would distort it and then it would enter my heart.” [Reported in Sharh Usool I’tiqaad Ahlis-Sunnah wal-Jamaa’ah of Imaam al-Laalikaa’ee, no. 242.]

So Shaykh Ahmed mentioned that Ibn Seereen (rahimahullaah) was scared that something might fall into his heart from the beautiful words of that person of innovation, even though he was not calling to his innovation. So the way of the Salaf is that the people of innovation, the Ahlul-Bid’ah, are not to be sat with, and they are not to be listened to, and Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta’aalaa) has made Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jamaa’ah in sufficiency, and there is no need for the people of innovation, whether they are calling to their innovation or are not calling to it.

And from the people are those who say concerning the people of innovation that we take from them [i.e. the Ahlul-Bid’ah] that which is good, and we leave off the evil that is with them. And Shaykh Ahmed (hafidhahullaah) mentioned that this is a false statement, and it is an incorrect statement. And what is correct is that we do not take from the people of innovation in entirety. And there are great dangers in this [i.e. this false statement that we take the good and leave the bad], and the Shaykh mentioned a story that one of the early Salaf wanted to marry a woman who was known to be from a sect of the Khawaarij. And he hoped that by marrying her he might win her over to the Sunnah, but when he did marry her, it turned out that in fact she had pulled him to the beliefs of the Khawaarij.

Share this, Baarakallaah Feekum: [“One who guides to something good has a reward similar to that of its doer” - Saheeh Muslim vol.3, no.4665] [This website protects the copyrights of the authors/publishers. The Content is posted on this website with implicit/explicit permission from content owners. If you find any copyright violations please inform the same.I ask you to fear Allah before you spread the rumours and false information]